Tuning Out
by BangBangWoe
Summary: "Maybe there is a beast… maybe it's only us." Venilia Nero is the winner of the 67th Hunger Games, but all she ever wanted to do was go back to her family and continue reading her books. She didn't want blood on her hands. What exactly is put at risk with this victory? Remember, there are no winners, only survivors. Finnick Odair/ OC
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Hames Trilogy.

* * *

Prologue

Ever since I was young, I loved to read. Books were an escape, an illusion to drift away from the chaos of what all of us know as life.

"**The thing is - fear can't hurt you any more than a dream."**

I wasn't around when The Second Great Purge occurred, and I am grateful I wasn't. Thousands upon thousands of people were slaughtered.

"**Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you? Close, close, close! I'm the reason why it's no go? Why things are what they are?"**

"**What are we? Humans? Or animals? Or savages?"**

"**Maybe there is a beast… maybe it's only us."**

_Lord of the Flies._

The Second Great Purge carried on for years, with deaths always increasing.

"**It kills me sometimes, how people die."**

War broke out between neighboring regions, and the world seemed to be falling apart.

"**A small but noteworthy note. I've seen so many young men over the years who think they're running at other young men. They are not. They are running at me."**

Cities were demolished and those who survived were placed into separate districts. There was mass propaganda and censorship, and under the new government the people were oppressed.

"**Humans, if nothing else, have the good sense to die."**

"**Together, they would watch everything that was so carefully planned collapse, and they would smile at the beauty of destruction."**

"**My heart is so tired."**

"**I am haunted by humans."**

_The Book Thief._

However, during The Second Great Purge someone rescued a few books. These books, old, scorched, and worn down, have been ultimately rescued from their great demise. Currently, they are in my care, and are to be kept secret from the Capitol.

"**Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing."**

Other books and possessions that people owned were destroyed, and they were eventually inculcated with the thought that this new country, Panem, was perfect and that this new government was, in fact, good. Soon, there was tranquility, but only for a little while.

"**People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for."**

When the Rebellion occurred, this new government, known as The Capitol passed a new set of laws.

"**Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."**

"From the Treaty of the Treason:

"**You just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don't you let 'em get your goat. Try fightin' with your head for a change."**

In penance for their uprising, each district shall offer up a male and female between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public 'Reaping.'

"**Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win."**

These Tributes shall be delivered to the custody of The Capitol,

"**We're paying the highest tribute you can pay a man. We trust him to do right. It's that simple."**

And then transferred to a public arena where they will Fight to the Death,

"**There's a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I could keep 'em all away from you. That's never possible."**

Until a lone victor remains.

"**They've done it before and they'll do it again and when they do it - seems that only the children weep. Good night."**

_To Kill a Mockingbird._

Henceforth and forevermore this pageant shall be known as The Hunger Games."

**"To forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time."**

For 67 years, The Hunger Games have been plaguing the lives of innocent people.

"**One more stab to the heart, one more reason to hate. One less reason to live."**

This sick play on human life has become an entertainment to the people who live in the Capitol. They live for the blood, the gore, the excitement. However, there is to be one rule that should always be followed:

"**In the beginning there was faith - which is childish; trust - which is vain; and illusion - which is dangerous."**

"It is the duty of all civilians to honor the Capitol. Report unruly behavior of fellow district citizens to your nearest peacekeepers. Resistance will be treated accordingly."

"**Those who kept silent yesterday will remain silent tomorrow."**

_Night._

Rebellion will not be tolerated again.

"**Maybe ever'body in the whole damn world is scared of each other."**

_Of Mice and Men._

What the Capitol doesn't know is that rebellion has already began. Perhaps not with me, no, I'm just a girl from District Four who likes to read illegal books. But I am, in fact, lethal. All of us are lethal.

"**I lived in a world that at any moment could erupt into fire. It was the sort of knowledge that kept you on your toes."**

_The Glass Castle._

Rebellion is in the air; it always has been. All you have to do is wait.

"**All I kept thinking about, over and over, was 'You can't live forever; you can't live forever."**

_The Great Gatsby._

After all, life is just a play full of love, hate, war, peace, and we are the fools who star in it. All there really is to it, is to live.

"**To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,**

**Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,**

**To the last syllable of recorded time;**

**And all our yesterdays have lighted fools**

**The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!**

**Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,**

**That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,**

**And then is heard no more. It is a tale**

**Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,**

**Signifying nothing."**

_Macbeth._

Because in the end, there are no winners; only survivors.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I think it's about to that I came back to writing stories, isn't it? I deeply apologize to those who have been waiting for my other stories. I would give petty excuses, but it's been more than a year, so why even try? I've been lazy, and although I still continued to read fanfiction, I haven't written one in a long time. So maybe this is the one that will bring my writing mojo back. Hopefully I actually finish this one, and I promise I'll go back to my other stories eventually. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about them.

Anyway, yeah, Hunger Games, Finnick Odair. Yeeep. I'm not going to lie, I haven't read the books, I've only seen the movies and fell in love with them. However, worry not, friends, I will get to the books… eventually ^-^ So if you recognize the quote about the Treaty of Treason, I got it from the movie (but it seems like something that would directly be from the book, so I'm going to just say it's from there). And the part about The Second Great Purge is something I made up (the first one, however, was very real - Russia, guys.)

And yeah, I know, the way this is written is a bit weird, but I love all of these books and my English class has really inspired me this year to appreciate reading, so yeah, the main character will be a big reader and if you need a visual as to what the OC looks like, think of Astrid Berges-Frisbey. If you recognize her, it's probably because she was the mermaid Syrena from Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides, and guess who else was there… that's right, Sam Claflin, who also plays Finnick Odair. It's lovely how things turn out, right?

Anyway, enough chit chatting. I'll try to bring out the next chapter as soon as possible. Warning, the format for that will also be weird as there will be a lot of jumps and difference scenes out of order, but eventually it'll go back to a regular format. Until then, I have to vamoose :P


	2. Mad World: Part 1

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games Trilogy

Mad World

Part 1

'_**Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out…'**_

'_**Something isn't right. It doesn't feel right. Why do I feel this way?'**_

'_**It's cold and warm and it hurts. Why does it hurt? What's going on? Why can't I move?'**_

'_**Okay, okay, just calm down. Remember, breathe in, breathe out… now, concentrate. Your hands, try to move them… your fingers at least. You can do it, now try! Why does it hurt so much?" **_

'_**It's no use… but… try! Don't give up! Or at least… remember. What's happening? What's going on?'**_

_** "Ven, come on, don't do this now."**_

'_**What?'**_

_** "Jesus, Ven."**_

'_**Oh god, what's happening?'**_

* * *

"_Ven, wake up…wake up Ven, we have to go… Venilia! Wake. Up!" The 16 year-old girl woke with a start and looked around only to see a younger girl with an annoyed look on her face. _

_Venilia, having fallen asleep on the beach, sighed and concentrated on the sounds of the waves crashing. "I know you don't want to go, Ven, but we have to," The younger girl said to the older one, now with a solemn look. " I know, Iza, I know. But… This day is just… Why does it need to happen, you know?" _

"_I know you're upset about him, and I wish I could remember him more, but please Ven, we have to go." The younger girl, Meriza, says to the older one. "You would've loved him. Bo was funny and smart, even for his age, you would've loved him, Meriza." Venilia said, whispering to her sister. Meriza held her sister's hand and walked, Venilia steps dragging depressingly next to her. _

"_I know, Ven, I know." Meriza said softly. She looked down onto the ground as her and her sister walked in the sand on their way to their home. "What's wrong, Iza?" _

"_I… I just have a bad feeling… It's nothing, I'm sure…" Meriza shook her head and stared up at her older sister with a fake, bright smile. Venilia looked at her younger sister, fear creeping into her heart and she stopped walking, and looked into Meriza's eyes green eyes. "Don't say that, Meriza, your name is only in there once. You'll be perfectly fine, I promise. I love you, Iza, and nothing will happen to you, I swear on it. It'll be okay, do you understand?" Venilia said firmly. _

"_I understand, Ven, I love you too." Meriza's voice cracked as her sister embraced her When Venilia felt something wet fall onto her shoulder, she just held her sister even tighter._

* * *

"_Ven, I'm scared." _

_The girl only stared at the younger boy's random statement in a questioning manner. "What do you mean?" She asked. _

"_I have a bad feeling. A really bad feeling." The boy elaborated. He sat with his younger sister on the beach. On that particular day, the ocean was calmer, and what would usually be waves crashing upon each other were only mere ripples. That week had been a hectic one, as the annual Hunger Games creeped onto the twelve-year-old boy and left him with a bitter taste in his mouth. "I'm sure you're just overthinking everything. I mean you just turned twelve, so you're probably just worried. Don't worry, Bo, I'm sure you'll be fine." Bo's eleven-year-old sister gave him a bright, reassuring smile. However, not even her optimism could clear him from the unsettling feeling. _

_And despite trying to comfort her older brother, Venilia, even in her young age and naivety, had the same feeling her brother had._

* * *

"_Meriza Nero!" _

_The crowd of thirteen-year-old girls parted as they stared at Meriza, some with sorrow and others with relief that they were not chosen. Meriza's blood drained from her face and she looked to be in shock. She searched wildly for familiar faces that would show that this was all a sick joke. She looked until she finally she saw the large screen next to the stage, seeing the horrified expression of the girl that she recognized as herself, and then the crowd that stared back at her expectantly._

"_Meriza Nero, darling, come on up." The Capitolian woman's voice rang out and rattled through Meriza's head. She made eye contact with one of her brothers, Ken, and then next to him, Dax. The twins were just as shocked as Meriza took slow, unsteady steps out of the crowd. 'No!'_

_'No!' _

_Meriza thought that the anguished screams were in her head, but when she heard a commotion behind her, she looked back in a hazed fashion. _

"_Iza! Meriza! No, I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute for Meriza." Venilia shouted out, pushing against the peacekeepers. "Ven, no…" _

"_Shh… Meriza, it's okay, it's going to be okay." Venilia said softly to her sister as she held her. She let go, and the peacekeepers guided her up to the stand. _

"_No, Venilia… Venilia, no! You said - No! Let go of me! Venilia! Venilia!" Meriza cried out as Peacekeepers took her away from Venilia. Venilia stared and saw the looks of her family, her few friends, acquaintances and even strangers that held pitied looks. _

"_And what is your name, dear?" The Capitolian woman asked. Her florescent emerald eyes shined brightly at the girl who just volunteered, and her blue painted lips held a polite smile. "Venilia Nero." Venilia stated softly. The woman had a knowing look in her eyes as she said, "I'm assuming that was your sister?" _

"_Yes." Venilia faintly nodded, and the world became a hazy place as she stared at the crowd in front of her. Sorrowful, pitiful, bored, envious and blank eyes all stared back at her at the same time, and at that moment Venilia felt as if the District Four sun would swallow her. _

"_And now, for the gentlemen." The escort said brightly, and everyone shifted their attention from Venilia and looked at the colorful woman fishing her hand into the bowl. _

"_Leven Nero!" She said, and even at that her eyes widened, along with everyone else's. Murmurs arose from the crowd as Venilia's older brother walked up to the stand. Venilia stared at Leven's hardened expression, and her heart beat painfully when no one volunteered. "My, what a turn of events…" The escort muttered to herself, and then looked to the crowd, "Well, your tributes from District Four. Come on now, shake hands." _

_Venilia and her brother shook hands, and the woman, this time with false excitement, exclaimed, "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor."_

* * *

_The waves were serene, a shock since the night before there had been an aggressive storm. Venilia closed her eyes, inhaled deeply and concentrated on the feeling of the muddy sand beneath her. District Four had a distinct feeling to it that Venilia had grown to love. The smell of the ocean, the way the waves sounded when they clashed together, the feeling of the soft sand beneath her feet, and the bright, warm sun that would hit her, though it seemed that unlike her brothers, she, along with her sisters, gained their mother's inability to properly tan, and were left with fair skin. Despite the sunburns that Venilia received from time to time, she did not mind at all. After all, District Four was her home. _

_Off in the distance, Venilia could see her father and her brothers on their boat, trying to capture as much fish as they could. The sea creature obviously became their food, and any extras (which there usually were) were sold to fisheries and small markets. That's how it was in the part of District Four where Venilia lived. Economy wise, the Neros weren't doing too badly, but they could be better. Some days, where the fish were all gone for some reason, the family would have to look harder to see what to eat, but there was never a day where one would starve alone. The family, a rather large one, was very close knit, especially after the 63rd Hunger Games. _

"_Venilia, are they almost here?" A girl, who was younger than Venilia called out from the house. "Not yet!" Venilia called towards her, and then turned back to see the speck of the boat getting closer and closer. "Wait! Rydia, they're on their way!" Ven could see her sister nodding before she stepped back inside the house, probably to tell their mother. _

_With time, the boat drew closer to the old, rickety dock. The Dock, or as the children called it, 'Old Woody',' was older than they were, and rattled suspiciously if the children roughhoused on it. Yet, for some reason it was sturdy enough to hold not only Cyrina, but boats belonging to neighbors as well. _

_Voices drew closer and eventually Atticus, Venilia's father, docked the boat. Her father and the boys all stumbled out of the boat, laughing and having carefree expressions. They were most likely delighted that today, the waters were especially generous as each male member held a net full of colorful and bountiful fish. "Wow," Venilia breathed out, "That's a lot of fish."_

_Venilia trailed behind her brothers as they all held their own medium sized nets and were on their way to where they store the fish before they sold them._

_The closest brother to Venilia was the only one who acknowledged her, "Yeah, wow. Today was freaking amazing, the fish literally-"_

"_Hey, watch your language!" Venilia and a few of her other brothers laughed at their father scolding Leven from up ahead, ignoring his embarrassed glare. A few minutes later, Venilia realized that her brother became quiet and lightly punched him. _

"_C'mon, lighten up, Lev. Dad was just kidding," She said with a playful smile, only to have it wiped off when Leven hit her back harder. Venilia, in retaliation, hit her brother back, and Leven returned the favor, until finally, Venilia took a handful of the wet sand and threw it at Leven's head. She heard a deep laugh, and turned to see her oldest brother, Cain, staring at them. The rest of the group turned around and followed Cain's suit, having laughed at Leven's sandy face. Venilia, feeling triumphant and therefore, arrogant, held her head until she felt something hard and wet slap her face. She fell to the ground, and then looked at the perpetuator: Leven, holding a rather large Tuna._

_All Venilia could do was muster a shocked face, and everyone except her father was laughing. Venilia snatched the Tuna out of Leven's hands as he doubled over in laughter, and immediately he straightened up. She held the death fish threateningly, to which Leven narrowed his eyes and said, "You wouldn't." _

_Venilia smiled mischievously, and before anyone knew it, something wet was smacked across Leven's face. "Fish Fight!" Venilia's older brother, Dax, called out as he himself grabbed for a fish from his net and smacked his twin, Ken, across the arm. Dax and Ken were going against each other, while Ven and Lev were engaged in their own one -on-one battle. The only ones who remained untouched by the fish were Cain, the eldest son, and Atticus, the children's' father. "What do you all think you're doing?" Atticus said sternly. One by one, the impish children put their fish down. "Sorry, dad, it won't happen again…" Venilia said in a guilty voice. "_

_Good. Slapping each other with fish, what's wrong you?" Atticus turned around, grumbling to himself, until he looked up in surprise. First, came the flash of blue scales flashing before him, then came the sensation of something wet, and finally the pain of having been slapped with a fish. _

_Cain smiled innocently at his father's astonished face and said, "Oh, I'm so sorry dad. The fish slipped from my hand." _

"_Now son," Atticus said while reaching into his net and grabbing the biggest fish, "If you want to properly slap someone with a fish, you need to do it like this." The fish flew across Cain's face, and that was when all hell broke loose. Fish were being used as weapons, faces and other body parts were reddening and bruising, and laughter was in the air._

"_What in the world is going on here?" A voice shouted from a few feet away, "What do you all think you're doing?" _

"_Aw mom, we were just having fun." Dax groaned, along with the other children. "You do not have 'fun' with what we need to sell!" Vivien exclaimed, letting go of seven-year-old Meriza's hand and throwing them in the air. Rydia, behind Vivien, snickered at the situation. "Vivien," Atticus said while stepping closer to her, "It's ok, we have enough fish to sell. Just calm down, I was just having some fun with the kids." He cupped her cheek with one hand, and Vivien sighed into his palm. "I know, I know. I suppose I was just overreacting," She said with a soft smile. _

"_It's alright honey, now give me a kiss." To this the children gagged, but Vivien ignored them and closed her eyes and leaned into him. To her surprise, Atticus's lips were small, wet, and tasted like salt water. Her eyes shot open, and she let out a stupefied "Atticus!" Everyone burst into laughter, and eventually Vivien began to laugh at herself._

_When Venilia looked around, even through her teary eyes, she saw Leven's small yet genuine smile, heard his deep laugh and took great joy at both rare actions._

* * *

_The train's interior was extravagant. Everything seemed expensive, from the train's crystal chandeliers to the petite and rich looking desserts. Venilia and Leven shared a shocked look, as they were not accustomed to this kind of treatment. "My, don't you just love it in here? It's simply marvelous, just marvelous, isn't it?" Their escort, Cornelia Allorine, exclaimed with sheer happiness. "It's unbelievably fast, and you don't even feel a thing!" Venilia gave Cornelia a graceful smile and nodded, "It's so beautiful, Miss Allorine." _

"_Oh my, your manners are simply wonderful! Just call me Cornelia, darling." She gave them a bright smile, and her eyes emerald eyes twinkled at the sight of the polite girl. Cornelia was an interesting looking woman, in Venilia's opinion. Even though Cornelia had an exaggerated beauty, like the rest of the Capitolian people, there was something that Venilia liked about her. Perhaps it was her bright red hair that made her eyes seem brighter. Or maybe it was her turquoise dress that not only matched her lip color, but also seemed unusual to someone like Venilia. She finally concluded that it wasn't Cornelia's appearance that made her likable, but the fact that she seemed to somewhat care about the tributes. _

"_My, you're awfully quiet, Leven. Aren't you just excited?" Cornelia also had this sort of naivety about her that Venilia somewhat pitied. The Capitolian people didn't seem to truly gasp that children were sent to fight to the death._

_Leven just gave Cornelia a small smile that did not reach his eyes, and said, "Sorry ma'am, I'm just a bit shaken up." She appeared to understand why. "Oh yes. It's a shame that the both of you are here, especially under these circumstances. I'm truly sorry that it turned out this way," Cornelia said sorrowfully, but then brightened up, "But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy your stay here! It's good to have simple pleasures, even if they don't last very long. Leven how old are you?" _

"_I'm eighteen, ma'am." _

"_Please, I've told you two to just call me Cornelia. But I do compliment you on your manners, young gentleman. Effie will be so please to hear that my tributes are so polite. And you, dearest Venilia, how old are you?"_

"_I'm sixteen, Cornelia." _

"_Oh! Just like Finnick! Which reminds me, where is that boy? And Mags? Oh my, we need to get the whole gang together. I'll be right back." Cornelia seemed to skip out of the cart they were in. Venilia and Leven soaked in the silence, until Venilia broke it. "Leven, does she mean Finnick Odair?"_

"_I think so, Ven.," He said, looking at the scenery passing by them. _

"_He won at 14 years old, right? That's… impressive." Venilia said, not knowing what to say in the awkward silence. She didn't know how to grasp their situation; the fact that one - or both— of them would die. She didn't want to think about it, and deeply prayed that it was all a nightmare. "Yeah, listen, Venilia," Leven said all of a sudden and looked into her eyes, "I want you to be careful around him. He's the Capitol's player, so be careful." Venilia looked at Leven in anger and disbelief._

"_Do you honestly think that I would-" Venilia, who was nearly standing, was cut off by the sound of the door sliding open. "Well, seems like our two tributes are about to bite each other's heads off." An unfamiliar voice said._

_Venilia's head snapped to the sound of the voice, and already in a bad mood, she couldn't help but seem a bit unwelcoming. "Oh, just ignore him, dear. He doesn't seem to know when to be quiet. I'm Mags." A soft, elderly voice spoke quietly, and she gave both Venilia and Leven. Venilia saw the older woman and became embarrassed that her first impression made her seem like a temperamental person. She could feel the red spreading on her cheeks and gave a sheepish smile. "Oh, no, I'm sorry. It's just my brother said something… I'm Venilia. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mags." She said with a sincere smile. "And I'm Leven," He said with a small smile and a nod of the head. The two teenagers heard someone clearing their throat, "I'm Finnick, but you probably already know that," Finnick said in a playfully arrogant tone. Venilia smiled, shook her head and rolled her eyes. _

"_You said he was your brother?"_

"_Yeah."_

"_Now that's just bad luck." Venilia's eyes narrowed at Finnick's statement, but all she did was turned her stare to the scenery passing by them, and wondered just how fast two weeks passed._

_**.*.*.*.**_

**All around me are familiar faces**

**Worn out places, worn out faces**

**Bright and early for their daily races**

**Going nowhere, going nowhere**

**Their tears are filling up their glasses**

**No expression, no expression**

**Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow**

**No tomorrow, no tomorrow**

* * *

**Author's Note:** So I was originally going to make this one long chapter, but now I think I'm going to make two or three different parts (I'm leaning towards one more chapter like this, but who knows what inspiration will allow me to write). I've also decided that a song or quote from a book will relate to the chapter title. I don't know what else to say really, I just need to figure out how exactly I'm going to write the next chapter since there's going to be parts of Finnick included. Until then, sayonara!


	3. Mad World: Part 2

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Hunger Games Trilogy, or the name Stromae (Though, I do love his music)

* * *

Mad World

Part 2

"_You really don't know when to quit, do you?" _

"_Aw, come on, sweetheart. It tastes good, I promise." Finnick smirked at the annoyed Venilia. "It's only been 40 minutes and you've already managed to annoy my sister. Congratulations, you've done the impossible." Leven said with a sarcastic tone. "What? It tastes good. Is it bad to try to give something sweet to such a pretty girl?" Finnick replied, still with an amused expression. Leven snorted at Finnick's response, and Venilia just huffed in annoyance. _

"_Leven! Snorting is very unattractive and not gentleman-like." Cornelia said from her spot on the couch. "Sorry, Cornelia." Leven politely muttered, but still annoyed at his "mentor's" attempt to get along with his sister. To Leven, it was stupendous to think that a young and immature boy would be teaching him and his sister on how to survive the Hunger Games. It was a shock enough that this boy even became a victor at fourteen._

"_Oh, Finnick, just leave the poor girl alone," Mags said, shooting a kind smile in Venilia's direction, then continuing to scold Finnick, "Can't you see she doesn't want any?" Finnick looked down muttering something inaudible to himself. "What did you say?" Venilia said, at this point irritated beyond belief. Finnick, also annoyed now, rolled his eyes at the ground and then looked up at Venilia with a tight smile, "Oh, now you're wondering what I have to say, huh?"_

"_Jesus, just give me that," Venilia snatched the sugar cubes from Finnick's hand and stuffed four or five of them in her mouth, "Happy?" She spoke with a full mouth, and she could hear Cornelia stutter from her seat at Venilia's "un-lady like manners". Venilia suddenly coughed and her eye twitched. She swallowed the sugar cubes and made a sound of disgust, "Too sweet." Finnick, who had been staring at her burst out laughing. Even Venilia started laughing a bit, before she too started to laugh uncontrollably. Everyone on the train just laughed a bit or giggled at the teenagers' silliness but did not comment and left them to themselves, continuing their conversation of their own. _

_Eventually, Venilia's laughter turned into gasps of air, as she started tried to speak, "Why… Why would you… Make me eat that?" She said while wiping the tears from her eyes. It was then that she realized that he had stopped laughing a few minutes before her, and tilted her head in a questioning manner. Finnick gave her a gentle smile, as if he knew something that she didn't, and spoke, "People like us, when we see something sweet, we better grab it." _

_Venilia just stared at Finnick and realized what he had meant. Her grin fell to a small and tender smile, and she kept looking at him for a few seconds longer, until she brought her gaze to the train's window and stared at the Districts passing by. _

_It was at that moment that Venilia realized there was more to Finnick than he let on._

* * *

"_Oh! What a beautiful young lady! Hello, mon amour, my name is Stromae," The lanky man said in a thick accent, then turned his head, "And I am Andrea. Such a beautiful looking young lady. Oh! I am so envious of your appearance. So natural! Look at those cheekbones! Those eyes! Those lips! Surely those rustic boys come after you, non? What is your name? Tell me, darling, tell me." Venilia stared questioningly at the strange, enthusiastic half man/ half woman in front of her. "Uhm, hello, my name is Venilia-"_

"_Venilia! Such a lovely name for such a beautiful young lady, non?" The man turned his head to the side where there was no eyeliner or mascara bordering his eyes, where his face overall was bare. He looked at Venilia up and down and smirked, and then all of a sudden he clapped. "Come! We have work to do, ma cherie. We've got to make you look jaw dropping, not like it'll be too difficult," Stromae, Venilia assumed walked away from her into the room where she would get dressed. He opened the door to the dressing room, but stopped half way, and the Stromae's feminine side looked behind at Venilia. _

"_Oh, and before I forget. Congratulations, darling, to the fabulous Hunger Games!" Andrea, Venilia assumed, threw the doors open and made the motion similar to an arch with her hands. From behind Andrea, Venilia could see fabrics all around, makeup brushes, hair accessories and a dress in the center of the room. They both walked in, and when Andrea clapped again, colorful women rushed into the room, all gushing at Venilia's appearance. _

"_Oh, she's just lovely!"_

"_We knew the dress looked beautiful, but it'll look perfect on this one."_

"_She'll look exactly like a sea nymph! Aurélien, you're a genius!" _

"_It's Andrea!" Andrea snapped, and Venilia wondered why one of the assistants called her/him Aurélien. "Now quickly, we have no time to waste! Beatrix, her makeup! Lana, her hair! Roe, her nails! Quickly women, no time to waste!" The designer's voice deepened as he sent orders, and quickly the women went to work. Venilia, being the center of attention now, felt an oncoming headache at all of the commotion and confusion from the lanky designer and his - or hers - assistants. She felt her hair being pulled, her skin tugged, her nails painted and all she saw were flashes of bright pinks, blues, deep greens from the Capitolian women's hairs. _

_Finally, Venilia was able to stand upright and the assistants backed away. "She's ready now. Aurél - Erm, Andrea? She's ready for the dress." A woman with bright pink hair and blue makeup said as she placed her makeup tools back in their cases. Venilia stared at the designer, though his gaze was on the ground. He seemed upset, and as if he were contemplating something, and then his long and slender fingers rubbed his head. "Andrea? Stromae? She's ready." The same Capitolian woman who spoke earlier repeated. _

"_Ah, yes. The dress. Now, out women out. I need to be alone with tribute." The designer's voice was soft and held a feminine tone to it, so Venilia assumed it was Andrea who was speaking. _

"_Can I... Can I see?" Venilia asked as the assistants were shuffling out of the dressing room, unsure of what the designer would say. She took a step closer to the mirror when she heard a, "Non!" She stopped moving immediately and looked at Andrea in a questioning manner. _

"_Ma bichette, you can't look until you have the dress on you. Come, come, you are ready for it." She helped Venilia into the dress, and silence fell between them as Andrea fixed the dress on Venilia. "Ah, the dress is too long. Or maybe you're too short," She heard Andrea mutter to herself, and then laughed softly. Once again, silence overcame them and Andrea started humming to herself. "Andrea, why did that woman call you that name? Aurélien?" Venilia couldn't help but find herself asking that question._

"_Oh, that silly name. It's my birth name. I am Aurélien Van Haver. I'm sure you don't know who Paul Van Haver was, non?" Andrea stopped working at the bottom of Venilia's dress and looked up at her. "I'm afraid I don't know who that is." _

"_Of course you don't," Andrea rolled her eyes and shook her head, and then went back to fixing the dress, "That's because the Capitol is merde, and allows no culture." She muttered to herself. Venilia was shocked, seeing as most people wouldn't even dare insult the Capitol, let alone someone who lives there. "I'm sorry, what?" Venilia said, dumbfounded. To her, every Capitolian member praised the Capitol and President Snow. _

"_My great-grandfather is Paul Van Haver, otherwise known by his stage name Stromae. He was a singer unlike all others," Andrea spoke with admiration, "I never met him, but I've seen videos and heard stories until the Capitol took them all down, along with any culture unlike theirs. Stromae sang French songs with real meaning." _

"_So those words you speak, they're French?" _

"_Ah, that's right. French is a dying language. Yes, Stromae taught my mother's father, and he taught her. She eventually taught me, and although I have no one to teach, I still like to speak it." Andrea said with a tender voice. She stood up and guided Venilia to the mirror, to which Venilia gasped at her appearance. _

_Her hair, which was in a tousled side-braid fell over her shoulder and was wound with a long string of gold and lavender crystal orbs. Her dress was white and light blue and draped over her feet and dragged behind her. It covered her chest, and then fell into an intricate design of sea glass and pearls that went over her stomach and back, and once again fell into the flowing cloth. Her makeup was simple, except for her eyes that were a bold blue and black. To put it simply, her attire wasn't too over the top, but it was beautiful._

"_Now, the finishing touches." Andrea said as she placed what seemed like fins behind Venilia's ears and around her wrists. Venilia was left breathless by her appearance and thought to herself just how much she looked like something out of a child's fantasies. _

"_This… this looks magical, Andrea. You really are a genius." She said. Venilia twirled and saw as the fabric spun with her, and was amazed by what she saw. Andrea smiled and said softly, "You truly look beautiful, Venilia. Just beautiful." _

_Venilia stopped and continued to look at herself through the mirror, seemingly lost in thought._

"_I would have like to have met you if the circumstances were different, Andrea. I would've been happy to have learned French." Venilia said all of a sudden with a smile. Andrea mouth fell into a sad and small smile in return and said, "If the circumstances were different. However, my love, you are here and so, Alors On Danse!" Andrea walked outside of the dressing room and turned her head to right to look back at Venilia - the side where Andrea's face was bare. _

"_Let's show you off to the world, ma bichette."_

* * *

"_Both of you looked fabulous out there! Just beautiful! People will be lining up just to sponsor you two!" Cornelia exclaimed while clapping her hands excitedly. Venilia and Leven had just arrived from their Tributes Parade, and the crowd went wild when the cameras were on them. Flowers were thrown and the crowd cheered, and when Leven held up Venilia's hand, everyone went simply mad. This small and simple action only fed the flame that was their drama, the tragedy of the misfortunate siblings._

"_You two looked just lovely out there. Andrea you did a fantastic job," Mags said softly, but happily to the tall and slender designer. Andrea smiled brightly and gracefully held out her large hand, "The sailor, and the sea nymph to guide him. It was the perfect opportunity, and I seized it with grace and beauty." She replied proudly of her work, and walked behind Venilia and Leven, held both of their shoulders, and spoke once more, "I did outdo myself, non? My best yet." Andrea returned back to the spot where she was standing, and the group continued to chat, when Venilia wondered where Finnick was. _

"_What a pleasant surprise." Venilia felt hands on her waist and jumped away while shouting in shock, "What the hell?" When she turned around, Finnick gave her a smirk, to which Venilia rolled her eyes and looked over at her brother who grabbed her and glared at Finnick. Finnick, however, seemed to ignore Leven and his smirk slid into a smile, "But in all seriousness, you really do look beautiful." Venilia's unsure gaze rested on him, and eventually she too broke into a smile. _

"_Are you serious? Can we just go up, please, before my 'mentor' continues flirting with my little sister," Leven groaned in annoyance as he grabbed her arm and dragged her towards the direction of their rooms._

"_Oh yes! You two will just love it, love it!" Cornelia brought everyone who had been staring questioningly at Finnick back to attention. "It's wonderful in there. Beautiful dining room, a fantastic TV, and the most comfortable sofas you will ever sit on." She kept on speaking until they eventually made it up to the fourth floor of the building. "Wow." Both Venilia and Leven breathed out. The living space was just as Cornelia had described it to be, and better. _

"_Now I do suggest you two get comfortable. Dinner will be out soon, and I'm sure you wouldn't want to ruin your beautiful outfits." Cornelia said brightly, to which their designer gasped, "Non, non. You two, out of my master pieces, now."_

_Venilia chuckled and gazed at the living room and dining room and walked a little further, until the sound of a closing door brought her back to her senses. She turned to look at the only person left in the room, Mags. She looked at Mags and then curiously at the door, and Mags understood. "Oh, Finnick just left. He'll be back soon." She said softly, and then coughed. "Now, go on and get comfortable, dearie. I'm going to go take a nap." She said in a somewhat hoarse voice, and shuffled away quietly. _

_After Venilia changed into a more comfortable attire, she made her way to the room next door. "Lev?" She called out softly as she knocked on the door. The door opened, and Venilia saw Leven walk back to his bed and laid down on it, "What do you want?"_

"_I just wanted to talk," She said and sat on the edge of the bed, and then decided to lie down on her back. Leven sighed, "About what?"_

"_I don't know… Anything. Just talk… Like how we used to." She sighed as well when silence fell over them. Then, Leven suddenly spoke, "Okay. What's up with you and Odair?"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_He's constantly flirting with you, Ven. You're my baby sister, and it's my job to protect you, and I can't do that with you encouraging him with your smiles and your batting eyelashes and all that bull."_

"_Seriously, Lev," Venilia scoffed at her brothers lame accusations, "I'm not doing anything. One minute he's acting like egoistic peacock, all high and mighty, and then he's sincere, and you can tell he means what he says." Venilia's mind wondered to the blond and how complicated of a person he was, where he was at the moment, and why he's considered the Capitol's boy toy, until Leven started chuckling. _

"_I can't believe you just compared Finnick Odair to a peacock." Leven began, and soon Venilia joined in when she realized how ridiculous what she said had sounded. Venilia lightly punched Leven's leg, said a "Leave me alone," during their laughing fit, and then stared up at his ceiling when they both relaxed. _

"_I remember you when you were so little," Leven's voice broke the silence as he spoke as if he were in a distant place, "You were this annoying little thing. Always doing the weirdest stuff, like getting locked in the bathroom, or mispronouncing words like 'Truth' for 'Truce,'" He then raised the tone of his voice in his impression of Venilia, "'It's the truce, mom! I'm telling the truce!'" _

_Venilia shook her head and laughed quietly to herself. "When I was around five or six, I honestly wanted you as far away from me as possible because you always wanted what I had. I was so close to hating you as a kid, because you were always near me. You always wanted to be around me, and when Mom told you to go away and to leave me alone, you would stay put and say, 'No! He's my brother and I love him.' You were such a weird kid. And then you used to always involve Bo in games that tried to get my attention. It was so annoying. _

_I don't know when you started to grow on me, but you did and that day when you almost drowned like the idiot you are, I vowed to make sure to always protect you, you know that? No matter what, you come first. Whenever someone looked at you the wrong way, I was always on their back, even if you didn't know it. That's why I got into a lot of fights. If anyone even so mentioned someone from my family, they saw a fist coming their way. I did it so I wouldn't see you cry. You, or Rydia, even Meriza. _

_But then when Bo was reaped, it's like a dark cloud fell over the family. He should've never been reaped. If anything, it should have been me, I always got into fights." Venilia, hearing this, cut in angrily, "Don't say that. No one deserves to be reaped, so shut up." _

"_No, Venilia, you shut up. Bo shouldn't have even been reaped. He didn't even make it past the bloodbath, and even though you didn't see it because we all made you leave the room, you know it. Venilia, I couldn't protect Bo, but I promise I'll protect you. One of us has to get out alive, and it won't be me." _

"_Lev, can you just stop-" Venilia said desperately as she sat up and stared at her brother. He cut her off with a, "Listen to me, Ven, just listen. When we're in the arena, I want you to run, okay? Don't even go towards the weapons, I'll go. I don't want you near the blood bath." _

"_So you think it's alright for me to let you go alone? Leven-"_

"_Yes, I think it's alright, because I'm your big brother. I'll meet you somewhere… I just need you to be safe…" _

_Venilia flopped back down on her back and huffed, "Leven, just shut up." Eventually, her brother did and quietness overcame them once more. "How did we get here?" Venilia asked all of a sudden. _

"_I don't know, Ven, I don't know." He said quietly. Both of them were soon lost in their own worlds until a knock brought them back._

"_Dinner time!" A chirpy voice called from outside, and both Leven and Venilia raised from the bed. _

_Not much happened during dinner, except for the fact that Finnick was nowhere to be seen. Besides for small talk, Venilia wasn't really paying attention to her surroundings, and before she knew it everyone had gone back to their rooms and she was left alone again. She too went back to her room, and crawled into her bed after she set the scenery from the glass wall to a moon over the ocean. Venilia fell into a light, restless sleep, until she woke up to the sound of screaming. She bolted awake and walked outside of her room cautiously, wondering why no one else woke up. The sound of the TV registered in her ear and she walked to the TV and turned it off. She then heard whimpering, and turned with a start to the couch. Even in the darkness, she was able to recognize the figure. _

"_Finnick?" She called out his name, and he moved around on the couch some more, and the whimpering and cries got a little bit louder. She ran over to him, and tried to wake him up. "Finnick, wake up! Come on, Finnick, you're having a nightmare." _

_When he wouldn't wake and still moved around roughly, Venilia decided to go for another tactic. She softly caressed his face, and in a quiet voice she spoke, " Shh… It's okay, Finnick, it's alright. I'm here right now, nothing bad will happen." When Finnick calmed down, she grabbed his arm and placed it over her shoulder, and picked him up. Venilia buckled a bit under the weight, as she had underestimated how much he weighed and then proceeded to shuffle to his room. _

"_Huh? What's going on?" Finnick's voice mumbled, still thick with sleep. "You were having a nightmare, so I'm taking you back to your room." Venilia replied quietly. Finnick's head lolled forward, and he seemed to be falling asleep again, making Venilia's job much harder. _

_Opening Finnick's door proved to be a difficult task, but Venilia eventually got it and was able to place him into his bed. She took of his shoes and the jacket he had fallen asleep in, and then began to walk away when she heard a groan. "No, wait," Finnick groaned and mumbled, "Stay here." Venilia had a near breakdown as she mumbled an awkward "ok," and lay down next to him. His hand slid across her stomach and around her waist and left it there. Venilia, who was wide-awake, listened to the sound of Finnick breathing until she too fell asleep._

_And that night, Finnick had no nightmares._

_**.*.*.*.**_

**And I find it kinda funny**

**I find it kinda sad**

**The dreams in which I'm dying**

**Are the best I've ever had**

* * *

**Author's Note: Ok so I lied. Apparently my inspiration is telling me to make a third chapter like this, and then hopefully the one after is a normal chapter. ****Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, I honestly just didn't know how to start it and I'm the type of person who loves to research and get a picture in my mind of what I'm writing about, so (this may sound weird) but sometimes I'll act it out just to see how it flows, or I might google pictures to see how something look. If you need help visualizing Venilia's outfit:**

**Her hair (this is actually Astrid Berges-Frisbey, aka the way Venilia looks) : www . style wp-content / uploads /sites /2/2012/03/ astrid-chanel-japan-hair . jpg**

**Her dress (even though it's more like of a nymph being covered by the ocean, this is something to what I had in mind) : fs9/i/2006/067/e/d/Water_Elemental_Sea_Nymph_by_LisiDula . jpg**

**Her eyes: http : fs70/PRE/f/2012/272/3/6/ water_nymph_stock_by_mariaamanda-d5g8uje . jpg**

**The fins that are placed behind her ears and wrist: .leagueoflegends board/attachment .php? attachmentid =101785&d =1349652238**

**The sea glass design: https : media/Axn-tHFCAAEMUmo . jpg**

**Just take out the spaces and there you go!**

**And if any of you guys know Stromae, then I applaud you. If you don't, I suggest you watch the music video/ live performance of Tous Les Memes (which I'll have linked below) where Stromae is singing from the perspective of a man and a woman. Also, when Alors On Danse was written, that was a reference to one of his songs meaning, "So we just dance" and in the song he's basically singing of problems in life that we want to get away from and "so we just dance." But anyway, Stromae is a great guy, and the video Andrea vs Stromae really shows how Aurelien's personalities Andreaand Stromae are supposed to act.**

**And besides that, I hopefully got Finnick's character somewhat right. I always seem to mess that up, so of you let me know that'd be awesome. **

**Last thing I want to say: Thank you so much to** jazu10501** and **pogocrazy7** for reviewing! I really appreciated it!**

**Let me know what you all think, and hopefully by the end of next week I'll have the third chapter out. Until then, au revoir!**


	4. Mad World: Part 3

_**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Hunger Games Trilogy, Stromae (technically I own the idea of Aurélien, Paul Van Haver's future great grandson, but the actual Stromae is a real singer and the half man/woman thing is based off of his song Tous Les Memes).**_

* * *

Mad World

Part 3

"_In two weeks, 23 of you will be dead. Only one of you will be alive. Who that is depends on how well you pay attention in the next four days, particularly to what I'm about to say." The woman spoke strongly, being the center of attention, "First, no fighting with the other tributes. You'll have plenty of time for that in the arena." She giggled a bit at her own joke, despite it seeming rehearsed. _

_Venilia took this time to scan the other tributes. District 1 seem impatient, as well as District 2. The members of District 3 seemed stoic for the most part, but District 5 was fidgety, and Venilia noted as the District numbers increased, the tributes became more nervous and unsure. There were, however, those from the lower districts that were determined to stay brave, but one could only assume how they felt in a situation like this. The only ones who were ever honestly happy to be in the Hunger Games were those from the Career Districts, like 1, 2, and sometimes 4. _

_Having zoned out, Venilia didn't realize that someone was staring at her. Leven elbowed her and signaled to the boy on the other side of the group of tributes with his eyes. Venilia looked to see the District 2 boy who stared at her intensely, but when he noticed her looking back, he turned his attention to the speaking woman._

"_There are four compulsory exercises; the rest will be individual training. My advice is: don't ignore the survival skills. Most of you want to grab a sword, but most of you will die of natural causes. Ten percent from infection, twenty percent from dehydration. Exposure can kill as easily as a knife."_

_Exposure can kill as easily as a knife, was the only thought Venilia had as everyone in the circle of tributes disbanded. She walked forward until she felt someone grab her. "Hey!" She exclaimed in surprise, but relaxed when she realized it was only Leven._

"_Remember what Finnick said," he spoke quietly, "Don't show them anything; we'll train tonight. Come on, let's go to the fire making center." Venilia nodded, remembering Finnick's specific advice. Act calm and collected, don't show what you can do, don't piss someone off. Basically, stay under the radar, and if any of the tributes from the Career Districts ask you to join, give them an ambiguous answer. Meaning, don't accept, but don't decline either; tell them you'll think about it. Venilia supposed that outright declining might get those tributes angry, making the two siblings easy targets._

_The fire center proved to be somewhat of a challenge for Venilia and Leven than they would've liked to admit, and the plant section wasn't any easier, but when it came to making nets and knots, the two barely broke a sweat. Having come from a District that specialized in making them for fishing, Venilia and Leven had no trouble with the complicated loops and twists. Both siblings spoke to a minimum amount of people and very few people stared at them. They thought they were doing a good job at listening to their mentor. That is, until Venilia heard Leven say, "You need something?"_

_She looked up to see someone standing over her — the same boy who was staring at her earlier. "You two are really good at making knots, you know that? Mind if you teach me?" Venilia was somewhat surprised at the fact that the District 2 boy was talking to them in a friendly tone. District 2 boys were, stereotypically, very attractive, arrogant, and sly, as well as those from District 1, according to Leven. Venilia could only assume that her quick-tempered ad brash brother would be on his guard._

_The boy in front of her was strong and stood with authority, and he crouched down next to Venilia. He had a strong jaw, brown hair, and daring blue eyes. His skin was tanned a bit, and although he had a charming smile, it wasn't like Finnicks. The more Venilia looked at him, the more she understood Leven's stereotypes for those from the upper districts, and had a bad feeling. Still she replied._

"_Alright," Venilia said unsurely. She moved over and instructed the boy on how to tie a Bimini Knot, "Okay so you just grab it here, and twist…" Her hands moved quickly, as being in known territory proved it wasn't a problem of her to make any knots. "So, you two are from District Four, right? That means that making knots, nets, using spears and tridents and all that stuff is easy for you two, right?" Venilia stopped tying her knot and glanced over at Leven, who then spoke. _

"_Yeah." He said plainly, and the District 2 boy eyes narrowed and Leven's lacking response. He regained his composure and turned his attention back to Venilia. He spoke with pride when he said, "My name is Jack Kolenka."_

"_That's nice." Leven muttered and rolled his eyes, and then continued to look through the selections of knots. Venilia laughed nervously._

_ "What I think my brother means to say is his name is Leven, and my name is Venilia. Nice to meet you." Jack nodded his head in approval, "That's a cute name. So, Venilia, the others from the Career pack and I were wondering, would you like to join the Career pack? You're a pretty girl, so you'll be getting a lot of sponsors, and being from District Four I'm positive you know your way around weapons, so with you on our side-" _

"_And what about my brother?" Venilia interrupted Jack and gave him a sweet smile, "Sorry, but we're a package deal. Wherever I go, he goes." Jack gave a sideways glance in Leven's direction, and held a look of displeasure. "I'll have to talk to the others about it," He said, and then a charming smile graced over his lips, "Until then, what do you say?" _

_Leven all of a sudden stood up above Jack, and glared down at him._

"_You know what, you pompous asshole, stop talking to my sister. How about you go fuck yourself, and your Career Pack." Jack, feeling threatened, stood up straight as well, this time with a different aura. "Mind your own business, you worthless piece of shit. I wasn't talking to you." _

_Leven squared his shoulders and stepped closer to Jack, "My sister is my business, so why don't you just turn yourself around and go back to your cult, you Career pack whor-" Venilia stood shocked at what was unfolding in front of her, and was even more stupefied when Jack pushed Leven. Venilia quickly pulled Leven back as he tried to jump Jack. _

_"We'll think about your offer Jack, but right now isn't a good time. Thanks anyway." Venilia said hoping that the career tribute wouldn't hold a grudge. Jack looked at Leven, and then at Venilia, "No, you can forget it. Thank your brother for it." He looked back at Leven, "You watch yourself, fish breath. I'm coming after you. You too, sweetheart." With that, Jack gave one last anger filled glance at Venilia and then walked away, heading back to the rest of the members of the Career pack. _

_Venilia punched Leven's arm, who just muttered an "ow," and turned back around to the knot selection. Venilia stared at her brother in disbelief, "What was all of that?" _

"_What do you mean?" Leven continued to mumble, as he remained concentrated on a knot._

"_You're an idiot, I swear. What's wrong with you?" Venilia kept on reprimanding her brother, who seemed to lose interest in what his sister had to say. He looked up all of a sudden, and then turned around as if something was bothering him. "Finnick specifically told us to stay away from any attention. You don't think this is drawing attention? You're literally asking for a death wish, Leven."_

_Instead of listening to Venila, Leven seemed to be concentrating on something - or rather - someone else. "Are you listening? You just completely jeopardized the both of us." Leven walked away from his sister, and toward the rack that held the weapons. _

_Off in the distance, both tributes from 1 and 2 were staring at Venilia and Leven. So, in retaliation, Leven took a trident, and threw it with ease towards the direction of the Career pack. Jack, who had walked away to get throwing knives, turned around after heard a whoosh behind him, and saw the trident stuck to the wall where he was once leaning on. The Career pack members looked alarmed and began to speak among themselves in surprised tones._

_And then the whistle blew._

* * *

"_So he really almost hit the guy?" _

"_Yes! Finnick, it was so bad. He and this guy were about to go at it, and then the whistle blew and they had to drag Leven away from the weapons. Honestly, I tried to calm him down, but he's such a hothead. He's always been that way." Venilia said in an exasperated tone and she fixed her stance. She threw a tomahawk then another, and finally a third one, all hitting their targets. Finnick smiled, and Venilia just shook her head, "I'm glad he was trying to protect me and all, but if anything he put us in even more risk. Now we're on top of their hit list." _

"_You have great aim. Here, try this." Finnick handed Venilia a bow and arrow, to which she held clumsily. "Maybe I can talk some sense into your brother tomorrow." _

"_I doubt that," Venilia rolled her eyes and then quietly mumbled to herself, "How do I work this." Finnick heard her loud and clear and laughed. "You can throw knives, tomahawks, and fight remotely well, but you don't know how to hold a bow and arrow." _

"_Leave me alone." Venilia lightly chuckled, to which Finnick gave her a goofy smile and said, "Come here." He stood directly behind Venilia and had her hold the bow properly. She was nervous and very sensitive to Finnick's touch, and he was well aware of this and only held her tighter. His breath blew across the back of her neck, only causing her to tense up even more. "It's okay, Venilia. I won't bite. Much." He nipped her ear, and Venilia jumped away from Finnick in surprised. _

"_Can we just… get back to training? Please." Venilia said desperately holding out the weapons. Finnick walked closer trying to apologize, "Come on, Ven -"_

"_Finnick, please." He looked at Venilia for a few moments, and then nodded. "Alright. So we see that bows and arrows aren't a strong point. Let's continue seeing what you're good at." _

_Venilia nodded and put the weapons back, and picked up another one from the large selection of weapons._

* * *

_A nine-year-old boy stood out on the sand, staring intently at the calm water off in the distance, deep in thought. He tilted his head to the side and kept his cerulean blue eyes in one particular spot. _

"_What are you doing, Bo?" His sister's question made him jump, snapping him out of the trance he was in. "Nothing, just… it's crazy isn't it, Ven?" He asked his sister, Venilia, and then continued to look at the ocean. "It's crazy how big the ocean is, and we still don't know what lives deep within. I mean when we go on the boat with dad, we only go on top. But there's so much more," He continued in a voice full of wonder. _

_Venilia, not entirely understanding Bo, tilted her head in confusion. "I still don't get what you mean." The eight-year-old girl said. Bo grabbed her hand and took her closer to the water. _

"_Come, I'll show you."_

_They walked a foot into the water, neither caring for their dry clothes getting wet. When Bo thought he found a good enough place to stand, he spoke again, "Ven, this is as far as we can go, until we grow up and can go in deeper that is. But what do you see from here?" Bo asked. Venilia looked at her brother as if he were stupid, and answered, "The ocean, obviously."_

"_Yeah, but we only see the top. We don't see what's entirely underneath, even if the water is clear. When people can't touch the ground, or can't see through the water, they get scared because they don't know what's down there. Me? One day I'm going to explore. I want to know what's down there, because the greatest things in the world are the mysteries that we just need to work a little to solve."_

* * *

_Finnick was a mystery to Venilia. Ever since the first day of their private training session, she was a little awkward around him. Venilia, although having crushes in the past, never really had anyone coming onto her. Her somewhat large family was somewhat standoffish, as her brothers were known to protect their sisters very much. _

_Still, every night, just like the first, when Venilia heard Finnick having nightmares, she found herself comforting him and eventually bringing him to his room. And each night, when he asked her to stay, she couldn't bring herself to leave. She knew her brother would be beyond angry if he found out, but Venilia knew that Finnick meant no harm by it. If anything, this was his most vulnerable moment. Despite the player that Finnick set himself to be, she knew what he was truly underneath it all- broken. It was this that Venilia feared. Knowing that after winning he Hunger Games, the victors were usually broken. _

_One night, however, Finnick had his usual night terrors, but instead of continuing to sleep after Venilia stayed with him in his bed, he fully woke up. "Venilia…" He whispered, and Venilia froze. Lying next to him, she turned her head and whispered back, "Yeah?" _

"_Tell me about your life." He spoke softly. Venilia's eyebrows furrowed, and she looked at him confused. She turned her entire body to face him, and spoke, "What do you want to know about it?"_

"_You family, yourself, what you wanted to do if you weren't here. Everything." _

"_Well, I'm sixteen years old. My mom's name is Vivien, and my father's name is Atticus, which is interesting because Atticus is the name of Scout and Jem's father in __To Kill a Mockingbird__." Venilia's eyes widened slightly at her mistake, and then decided she could trust Finnick. Even if he were to go running to the Capitol to tell them about her books, she'd probably be dead because of the Hunger Games._

"_What's that?" Finnick questioned, slightly puzzled. "I, uh, found books one day in a small abandoned shack on a small island. Bo and I found it when we were little. I've read all the books, but the Capitol can't know, please. These are books that were supposed to be burned during the Second Great Purge." Finnick looked Venilia strangely._

"_A girl with an illegal book collection. That's something I've never heard of." _

"_Finnick, please, promise you won't tell anyone."_

"_I promise, Ven, I won't tell anyone." Venilia smiled softly at Finnick, to which he smiled back and then shook his head. "Come on, tell me more."_

"_I have a two sisters and four brothers, but it used to be five. In order from oldest to youngest, it's Cain, the twins Dax and Ken, Leven, Rydia, Bo … if it weren't for the 3rd Hunger Games … then me, and finally my youngest sister, Meriza. I volunteered for Meriza when she was reaped. I didn't want what happened to Bo to happen to her." Venilia sighed, and looked at Finnick who was staring intently at her. "We lived like the middle class in District 4, so we weren't too bad, but still my family worked out in the sea as opposed to fisheries. We like it better that way, or at least I do. I miss District 4… a lot actually. How come I never saw you there?" _

_Finnick looked at the ceiling of his room for a minute, and then back to Venilia. "I was usually at the Capitol. What I do requires me to be there most of my time. But when I'm not in the capitol, I'm but the beach or out in the ocean too. I try not to be in my home in Victor's Village, but when I am I stay with Mags. I don't really like to be alone." Venilia nodded, and silence overcame them. When she looked over at Finnick, Venilia saw that he was beginning to fall asleep. "Go to sleep." Venilia whispered, and Finnick wrapped his arm around her waist. Venilia stiffened, alarmed at first, but then willed herself to relax. Finnick pulled her closer, and asked, "Venilia, do you think you could tell me about one of the stories you've read." She was surprised at Finnick's request, and then, hesitantly she began to run her fingers through his hair. _

"_There once were these boys who landed on an island after a plane they were on crashed. There was war going on, but the kids saw this island as a good thing. To them, it was paradise. Two boys, Ralph and Piggy, find a conch and Piggy sees that its could be used to call the other boys on the island. This conch is later seen as a symbol for order and civilization, and despite these kids living a happy and content life without grown ups, they're newly elected leader, Ralph, realizes that they need to stay in charge of a fire so that passing ships could see them. But Jack, another boy who is symbolically a dictator, wants to have fun and hunt. He and the other boys begin to fall in too deep in the game._

_One day, a ship did pass, but did not see them because the signal fire was not on. Furious, Ralph blames Jack, but the hunter has just returned with his first kill, and all the other hunters seemed to be in some sort of strange frenzy, reenacting the chase in a kind of wild dance. Piggy criticizes Jack, who hits him across the face. Ralph tries to restore order, but it becomes clear that some of the boys have started to become afraid. The littlest boys, known as 'littluns,' have been troubled by nightmares from the beginning, and more and more boys now believe that there is some sort of beast or monster lurking on the island. The first monster, they believe, comes from the sea. The second, from the sky. And so begins the tale of the Beast, and the darkness of man's heart."_

* * *

"_From District Four, as all of you know, Lady of the Sea! Let's applaud for, the beautiful, the sweet, Venilia Nero!" Caesar Flickerman shouted into the mic, and the crowd roared back with excitement. Venilia walked out, her dress seeming to conflict with each other, as waves that crashed on one another would. Once again, her eyes were a dramatic light blue and with dark black eye shadow, making the color pop. Her hair was loose and in soft brown beach curls. She had on a soft blue shimmery cape that fell into a delicate sleeve that left her shoulders bare. To say that Venilia looked strong, but beautiful was an understatement. _

"_Wow! Venilia, when you came first came into the Hunger Games, you looked like a princess from the ocean. Now you look like a queen! Enchanting and strong. Please, do tell."_

"_Well, Caesar, my designer believed that not everything that's beautiful is innocent and safe, and that even if you come in like beautiful like a princess, as you said, you should leave strong, graceful, and compassionate like a queen." Caesar let out another 'wow' and the crowd cheered again. "That was simply magnificent. I do say, your designer is simply a genius!" Caesar laughed, and then quieted down._

"_Now, let's talk seriously. You volunteered for your younger sister, Meriza, correct?" Venilia sighed, and her crestfallen eyes made its way to Caesar. She tried to convince herself that she was speaking to someone familiar, like Leven or Finnick, and not all of Panem. "Yes, that's correct."_

"_And then your brother was reaped, and no one volunteered for him. Now that's just a tragedy." Caesar said, holding Venilia's hand in his. "Yes, well that __**is**__ the tragedy of the misfortunate siblings, isn't it?" Venilia inhaled and exhaled, and then continued, "This isn't the first time tragedy has struck my family, however."_

"_Oh? Please, continue."_

"_In the 63rd Hunger Games, my brother, Bo, who had recently turned twelve had been reaped. He didn't make it past the bloodbath. And that's why I volunteered for my sister. I couldn't let what happened to him happen to her. Although, it truly is bad luck that my brother is here with me as well." Caesar gave Venilia a sad smiled, and then preceded to ask, "And if Meriza, or Bo were here at this moment, what would you say to them?" _

_Venilia gasped a bit at this question, and her heart clenched. She thought to herself 'if Bo was here…' and seemed to fall blank. It was one thing to recite the story of his death to so many people, but it was another thing to remember it actually happen, and for her to grieve all over again. As unexpected as it was, she knew she had to answer, and with now teary eyes, Venila said in a shaky voice, "I would tell them… That I'll try my best. Despite all odds… I'll try my best to get my brother and I to be the last tributes. And let fate take its course when it comes down to one victor, but I will try my best." _

_He smiled sadly at Venilia, and said, "Well, best of luck to you, dearest Venilia. I'm sure your brother and all the rest of your family would be proud if he could see you now. To Venilia Nero of District Four!" Caesar Flickerman held Venilia's hand up, and Venilia smiled despite the tears threatening to spill over. The crowd cheered and when Venilia walked backstage, she just walked into Leven's open arms. He kissed her forehead and said, "You did great kid. Shh, shh, it's okay. I have to go now, but I'll be back." He let go of her, and walked to stage when his name was called._

_Venilia, who already looked somewhat lost, was given compliments by Mags, Stromae and Cornelia. After a polite smile and response, Venilia walked away towards the direction of her room, and was opening the door when she heard someone calling her. She turned around to see Finnick, who just ran towards her and hugged her. It was then that Venilia let everything that she had been holding in go. She began to sob as he held her tightly._

"_I miss him, Finnick. He was so young, and he didn't deserve it. Why does he die while others live?" She clutched his dress shirt, and began to sob harder as he tried to soothe her by running his hand through her hair and whispering soft words to her. Eventually, Venilia's hysterical sobbing calmed down, but the tears didn't fall any slower. Finnick lifted Venilia's chin, and softly placed a kiss on her lips, surprising Venilia. "It'll be okay, Venilia." Finnick said in between the kiss, "I promise, it'll be okay," Although Venilia felt as her heart went a thousand times faster, when she opened her eyes she just placed her head on his chest, and spoke in a hoarse voice._

"_Finnick why are we here? Why does this need to happen? My brother, Leven… Finnick we're going to die. I don't want to die, Finnick. I don't want to die."_

* * *

"_Venilia, when you go up there, I'll get the weapon, you run the opposite way, alright. I'll come for you." _

"_Leven, no. I'm not letting you go by yourself. I'll go with you." Venilia argued with her brother in the in the living room. "Sweetheart, maybe you should listen to your brother. Or perhaps both of you run far from the bloodbath." Mags suggested hopefully. However, Leven's next response confirmed her predictions._

"_No, Mags, I'm sorry but one of us needs at least one weapon and a survival pack. I just don't want Venilia to get close to that." Venilia scoffed at Leven, and replied, "So you think I should be okay with letting you go alone-"_

"_Yes. That's exactly what I think. I'm glad we're on the same page."_

"_No, Lev, that's not okay. That's actually really stu-"_

"_Venilia! I am your older brother and what I say goes." _

"_Leven, we aren't home! Mom isn't here to - " _

"_Venilia!" Leven said again, this time hitting the wall as he said her name. "Leven, I am faster than you, I can get it-"_

"_I will not have you dying as soon as the games start, do you hear me?" Leven glowered over Venilia, to which she glared up at her brother. "I said, do you hear me?" _

"_Yes." Venilia said in a defeated tone. She crossed her arms and looked away, her cheeks flushed with anger._

"_Well, now that that's settled, Finnick should be here at any minute. Come here, children, let me hug you." Both Venilia and Leven physically relaxed and walked towards Mags, then hugged her tightly. "Best of luck to the both of you." Her voice wavered, and their hug lasted for another minute until Cornelia walked into the room. "Oh! My two tributes, come here! Please, no fighting with each other in the arena, be courteous, cautious, and calm, and best of luck to the both of you. Oh, I love you both, and it's been a wonderful time with you two. Oh, I promised myself I wouldn't cry." Cornelia hugged the two siblings, and then pat her eyes with a tissue. Her attempts were futile, however, and her and Mags embraced each other for support. Leven and Venilia looked at each other, knowing that leaving their temporary family would be painful. _

_Suddenly the door opened and Finnick entered, "Alright guys, time to go." He waited for the two tributes that walked behind him slowly, and then made their way to the elevator. With a last goodbye to Mags and Cornelia, they entered and then fell into a deep silence. "Remember, water is your friend. Find it, store it. Make nets, trap people. If you see tridents, knives, axes, anything, get it. Venilia, I'm sure your brother told you the plan. Listen to whatever he says, alright." Venilia looked at Leven and Finnick with big eyes, and it truly dawned on her that all of this was real. _

_Her brother was the first to leave the elevator, but before he left, he gave her a small smile, "See you in the arena, kiddo." And then he was gone. _

_Finnick and Venilia however, lingered a bit, and Venilia's voice cracked as she tried to speak, "Finnick…" Her eyes glazed over, and her heart seemed to drop, and all she could think was 'this is real. This is real.' _

_Finnick hugged her tightly and kissed her deeply, as if it would be their last. "Venilia… I… Good luck Venilia. Make it out alive." She just stared at him, and slowly nodded her head. "Now go." Finnick looked down while he stayed in the elevator, and Venilia walked the same way that Leven had._

_Finally, the last person Venilia saw was Stromae. "I suppose its time to be serious." He said in what Venilia believed to be his normal, accented voice. "I have faith in you, ma bichette. I've decided I don't want to be apart of this anymore, this whole Hunger Games thing." He said nonchalantly while fixing Venilia's jacket. She let out a quiet, 'why?' and Stromae replied, "Because I want you to be the last person to speak of my art. I am speaking to you, not as Stromae or Andrea, but as Aurélien, and I want you to speak of my legacy. You'll be just fine, Venilia, I'm sure of it. I feel it deep in my heart, that you're special. Best of luck, darling." Aurélien gave one last hug to Venilia and a tender kiss on her cheek. She hugged him tightly back, and finally they both let go. _

_Venilia walked into her pod, and stared at her designer, and ultimately her friend, in sadness and heartache. She placed her hand on the glass, and Aurélien gave her a sad wave, before Venilia felt herself go up. _

_20_

_19_

_18_

_17_

_16_

_15_

_Venilia started to slightly panic, but reminded herself to calm down. Now was not the time to panic. She had to focus._

_14_

_13_

_12_

_10_

_She was above land and took this time to scan the area around her. There were tall trees, vast vegetation, green everywhere and a series of rivers all meeting to the plunge pool and the waterfall, and barely visible behind it, the Cornucopia. Venilia found her brother six pods away to her left, and then he looked back at her. She signaled with her eyes to the river, and then the Cornucopia. Leven shook his head, and Venilia stubbornly nodded, and turned towards the water closest to her._

_9_

_8_

_7_

_6_

_5_

_The glass door of the pod slid open, and Venilia first felt the warm, damp air, and then she heard all of the wild life. Birds, insects, monkeys, everything. But knowing the Gamemakers, they were all probably muttations. Venilia prepared herself, both physically and mentally to jump into the water and to be the first one in the Cornucopia._

_4_

_3_

_2_

_1_

_When Venilia jumped into the river the first thing she felt was a light sting. In the water, she saw strange fish that tried to snap at her once, and then turned away. The world seemed slower in the water, but the longer she stayed, the more pain she felt. So, Venilia dolphin kicked her way to the Cornucopia with all her strength and speed, and made it there in no time. _

_She ran to where she gratefully saw a trident and throwing knives, but when she saw her hands, she saw them tainted with a red and watery liquid. She touched her hand, and realized that the liquid was blood. The river was acidic, and was slowly beginning to kill her. Venilia was stunned and felt nauseous at the thought that if she stayed any longer, she most likely would've died._

_She stared at the weapons in her hand, and then remembered why she was there. The immobile girl couldn't hesitate now, so she wiped her wet and bloody face and turned to run._

_More and more people were making their way to the Cornucopia, though some were falling off due to the force of the waterfall. It was mostly the children that tried to overcome the rapid falling water, but could not, and would fall into the plunge pool. In no time, children that remained in the water for too long began to scream. What was once a beautiful looking waterfall became an angry death trap, surrounded by bloody red water._

_The older kids who were still determined to get to the Cornucopia either used the bodies to their advantage, using something as support to get behind the waterfall, or just killed the children that tried hiding by smashing their heads against the sharp rocks or simply snapping their necks. _

_The older trobutes that did make it to the Cornucopia, however, took no time in killing each other. Someone began to come after Venilia with a sickle, and then she heard a voice._

"_Run! Venilia, run!" She heard a little boy's voice yell at her. Everything happened in slow motion as she stared at Bo's tiny figure in disbelief. "Bo?" She tilted her head in confusion._

"_Get out of here, Ven! Run! Run!" _

_Bo disappeared and Venilia was snapped back into reality when the District 5 boy that was coming after her narrowly missed her neck, leaving only a thin, stinging line of blood. Then, she heard a snap and saw the boy fall, his neck disfigured. The boy from District 9 was standing behind him. She glanced at him quickly, and then began to run as someone else began to fight him._

_Venilia saw the true horrors of the Hunger Games unfold before her very eyes as she saw tributes fall one by one, and it was at this moment that she truly understood the madness and darkness in everyone. Blood was everywhere, and bodies were mutilated. These were images, that she knew would always stay imprinted in her mind. _

_As Venilia was running towards the dense rainforest, someone tackled her down. Not expecting it, Venilia dropped the knives and trident. She squirmed until she got on her back, and saw the District 10 girl on top of her, barely missing her head as she tried to stab her. Venilia tried to get any of the weapons, but at the same time struggled, as she had to prevent 10 from stabbing her at the same time. She didn't have that much strength left in her, having felt weaker ever since she got out of the river, and believed this was a battle she wouldn't win._

_The District 10 girl, determined, raised her combat knife again to bring it down, only to stop and look at her chest. She dropped her knife, eyes rolling back, and she began to fall forward. Venilia grabbed the girl before she fell on her, and quickly pushed her off. She scrambled to get the trident and knives, and when she stood up, she stared in disbelief and horror at the arrow that stuck out of the girl's chest. Despite this, Venilia picked up the girl's combat knife and continued to run. _

_All of a sudden, Venilia began to gasp, and then gagged, spitting out some blood. She looked at the thick liquid that fell on the leaf of a plant below her in astonishment. Once again unmoving, Venilia stayed staring at her blood until she felt someone else grab her._

"_Run." She heard the voice say urgently. Venilia shoved the trident into her brother's hand and listened to him. Running through the undergrowth was a blur, and the siblings eventually stopped when they were far away from the bloodbath. _

_Venilia began to cough some more, and then began to throw up. She wasn't sure if it was because of the river or because of the gruesome sight of everyone killing each other. She saw why Finnick had nightmares of this every night, and closed her eyes to try to keep the thought of it all away. Soon, Venilia began to feel pain all over her body, then numbness. _

_And then, there was darkness._

"**Why didn't you listen to me, Ven? Stupid, stupid, stupid**. **Venilia, I need you to listen to me. I need you to wake up, okay kid? You're all I got right now, Ven… Ven, I need you to wake up! Wake up! WAKE UP!"**

**.*.*.*.**

**"The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away."**

**"What are we? Humans? Or animals? Or savages?"**

**William Golding, Lord of the Flies.**

* * *

**Author's Note: So as you can see, the chapters after this one are where the story truly begins. If anything, the first three chapters were memories; quick fillers of Venilia's time from the day of the reaping to the first few minutes of the Hunger Games. I know I keep stressing Bo's death, but I want to show that Venilia has never received closure with this older brother that she loved so much. I guess you can relate this to Holden Caulfield in ****Catcher in the Rye****, since he never received closure with his brother Allie. And now she's in this predicament with another older brother who she loves just as much. I just want to show that Venilia has it hard and that even before the Hunger Games even start, she's remotely broken.**

**I also hope I kind of get down Finnick's character (that's another one of my biggest concerns), and it would be just dandy if you all let me know :D. **

**I want to also apologize for not updating in more than a week. The school year is ending, and I'm taking the regents exams this week and next and oh no noo, I just want to get it over with. Anyway, I finished my Global regents today so I guess I felt inspired to write this chapter. Hopefully I write up the next chapter soon, because this is where the story gets fun. ****Until then.**

**Extra: if you're wondering what Venilia's family look like, I'll probably have it somewhere on my profile. I don't know, I'm one of those people who need a visual to know how thing's get done, so I either draw the characters or look up actual people. In this case, it's actual people.**

**Lastly (I promise) I want to thank **pogocrazy7 **for reviewing. Thank you so much, I mean it! I really appreciate it 3**

**And now I'm done. Byee.**


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